Hydration: Notes from a Sweaty Kid

Staying hydrated is key to performing at your best.

Holy toledo, it's hot this week. If you are like me, you had at least one practice this week that knocked you on your butt because your body wasn't adjusted yet to training in 80-plus weather with near-100 percent humidity. I am now in full hydration mode and thought I'd share with you some of my tricks for staying hydrated when it's grossly hot out but you have long miles to log and championship racing to do (good luck to everyone racing this weekend and next!)

Delicious, delicious glass of water. It's erg puddle season!

First, hydration happens ON AND OFF the water. You need to be taking in more fluid than before all the time--when you wake up, when you're rowing, when you're in class or at work, and at meals. It will probably make your stomach feel a little weird for the first few days, but stick with it. You should be drinking at least 32 ounces more--that's one more Nalgene-worth of water--per day than when it was colder and drier. If you're not a water bottle carrier when you're not at practice, add a glass of water to every meal, and one more right after practice.

Hydration aids like Nuun, Powerade, and Gatorade are all great tools.

Second, hydration is ESPECIALLY critical DURING PRACTICE. You can see and feel your sweat, but you're also losing water through breathing. When it is this hot out, using hydration products is essential. I am a big fan of Nuun, but other products, like Powerade and Gatorade, and DIY methods (recipe below) will also keep you powering through long, sweaty practices.

If your workout runs over 75', a small electrolyte boost from gels or chews can make a big difference.

When rowing for at least 60', I bring something more hydrating than just water, and for practices longer than 75', I usually bring an additional hydration tool such as electrolyte-enhanced chews or gel. My favorites are Margarita flavored Clif Shot Bloks and Just Plain flavored Gu, but there are many, many products on the market to choose from!

Everything you need for a tasty, electrolyte replacement sports drink!

DIY Electrolyte Drink
Makes 1 Nalgene full (~32 oz/1L)

1/2 c orange juice (ideally not from concentrate--the fresh stuff has the most potassium!)
1/8 c lemon juice (ditto)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda (optional)

Place all ingredients in your water bottle, stir, then fill to the top with water. Make this just before practice as the one downside to DIY is that letting this sit in the sun for hours can make it go bad. If you find yourself short on OJ and lemon juice, you can also substitute things like an Emergen-C drink powder packet or two, or a tart, strong juice like Cheribundi. If you do substitute, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon of a potassium-based salt replacer like Morton Lite Salt or Morton Salt Substitute.

Stretching after practice is a great time to finish your workout hydration targets.

Finally, remember that hydration is also about timing. As they say...if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated, so keep on top of your fluid and salt intake. A good goal is to head into practice having had at least 8-16 ounces of fluid within the hour before you start, and aiming for around 8-10 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes you spend actually rowing. Within the 30-minute window after practice, try to take in the balance of fluid if you missed any during practice, plus another 8-16 ounces, along with your normal refueling snack.

80 minutes of active rowing in a workout means half a 32-oz bottle before,  two bottles during, and the remaining half after.

If you still feel like you're bonking, try adding a few shakes of salt to your meals and the fluid you bring to practice. You won't notice a small amount of salt in your morning oatmeal, but it will make a huge difference!

It's never too early to start hydrating!

If you have any other hydration tips, post them in the comments below. Keep training and racing hard, and Go USA!

Athletes Without Limits

Athletes Without Limits from Damone Brown Images.

Since moving to DC last fall, I've had the opportunity to get involved with an incredible club and organization: Athletes Without Limits. For rowing, AWL supports both athletes with intellectual disabilities and veterans who are a part of the U.S. Paralympic Military Rowing Program, rowing out of the Anacostia Community Boathouse and training at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Capitol Hill Martial Arts and Fitness Academy.

Our recent Military Adaptive Sports Program Rowing Clinic at Walter Reed!

Did you know that there were 42 medals awarded in sports specifically for athletes with intellectual disabilities at the London 2012 Paralympic Games? The U.S. sent only one ID competitor. The 2012 Paralympics consisted of 503 events, and while the U.S. won an impressive 98 medals--including the AWL-supported Rob Jones and Oksana Masters trunk and arms mixed double sculls crew that took bronze--we lagged far behind China's 231. Much more important than comparing numbers, though, is our country giving intellectually disabled and physically disabled athletes opportunities to train and compete. Athletes Without Limits does just that, and it has been an amazing experience this year to work with the athletes training towards the 2016 Rio Paralympics and for the World Championships and domestic competitions in the meantime.

Training with some of our ID guys before Erg Sprints this year!

Besides indoor and on-the water training, AWL also partners with the rehabilitation and gym facilities at Walter Reed National Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethesda, MD to bring rowing to veterans as part of their physical rehabilitation program. It's made me appreciate rowing in an entirely different light--getting to see an athlete become passionate about rowing as it gives them the physical activity, the limit-pushing, and the personal confidence that they weren't sure they'd find in another sport after injury. This article gives a great veteran's perspective on the rowing and other sports programs at Walter Reed.

Coxing as Justin brings the BOOM! to the MidAtlantic Erg Sprints.

To learn more about how you can get involved with intellectually- and physically disabled-focused rowing programs, visit USRowing and Athletes Without Limits. We're all one team. Go USA!

Racing Underway at the Sydney World Cup!

So today kicked off World Cup racing for Team USA here in Sydney, and we are so excited to finally get out there and go after a week of acclimating and training!

Sunrise at the regatta earlier this week.

This morning, we were the very first race of the World Cup in our 4x heat. I couldn't have asked for a more amazing boat to be a part of, with Elle Logan in stroke, Susan Francia sitting in front of me, and Megan Kalmoe rounding things out in the bow. As far as atmosphere, there's quite a bit of it at the moment, as there is a controlled burn brushfire somewhat nearby and we've had some spectacular sunrises and sunsets (as well as a little haze) at the course.

View of the brushfire from our hotel.

As with any regatta, we had a few wait-around moments--officials figuring out where the bow numbers were, a last-minute photo ID check--but got in a solid warm-up and headed up to the start excited to see what we could put together for our first piece together as a crew. Lots of good things and lots to work on, but we met our goal of crossing the line first and heading straight to the final on Sunday. Like many of our competitors here, all of us in the 4x are racing other events, so the idea of having one fewer race added to that pile made the one direct-qualifying spot (if possible) an even more definite goal!

Off the start in the 4x.  Photo: Detlev Seyb/MyRowingPhoto.com.

We headed straight for the dock, weighed our boat, set it in slings, and went into intense recovery mode. The World Cup schedule has been greatly compressed because of the Australian National Championship Regatta and the smaller number of competitors, so whereas racing would normally run from maybe 8am-1pm and then 4-6pm for repechages, all morning races were condensed into 8-10am. That meant that Megan and I had a luxuriously long break compared to Elle and Susan--our second race wasn't til 9:30, whereas the two singles were racing at 9:12 and 9:18! We had enough time to grab a snack, go to the bathroom, and stretch, and then it was time to head back out again.

Megan and I launched and did a quick tune-up warm-up, since we were still quite "warm" from our race. This was my first international race in a small boat, and I have really been looking forward to the experience and opportunity to learn that will come from this regatta. Having a double partner who has as much international experience in that boat as anyone on our team--and who is helping me learn a ton every practice--has made this an amazing experience so far. Our race results were not what we had hoped, but it also was a great first race because it gave us so many things to improve in the repechage tomorrow.

Susan off the start in the single.   Photo: Igor Meijer/FISA. 

This afternoon, we're all resting up. Elle and Susan had great races in the 1x, with Susan taking a strong third in her heat, and Elle putting together an incredible piece and winning her heat to go straight to Sunday's final! I am so impressed with both of these women--both of their first international races in the 1x, and Elle's FISA sculling debut, and they are doing incredible things. So pumped for USA sculling!

Caroline and Meghan in the pair.  Photo: Detlev Seyb/MyRowingPhoto.com.

In sweep racing, Caroline and Meghan won their heat in the pair to advance directly to the final Sunday, and the men's eight finished second in their race for lanes. We're all dialed in here at the hotel, watching the women's eight's heat, as well as the men's Australia National Championships final in the straight fours.

The live race tracker for all races can be found here: http://www.worldrowing.com/live-results?type=live, and Sunday's live streaming for finals can be watched here (check to see specifics for your country, which may include pre-registering): http://www.worldrowing.com/video.

Finally, I want to give a big shout-out to our only other fellow Americans here in Sydney, the junior women's eight from Saratoga, coached by the awesome Eric Catalano. These girls are blazing fast on the water and crushed their final today by more than a length of open water (and they have some pretty sweet gear!) Way to drop the hammer, ladies!!!

Teams USA earlier this week!

Thanks so much for supporting us back home, and Go USA!

Seeing the Sights (and Baby Wallabies!!!) in Sydney!

USA women in Sydney!

Yesterday, we had an awesome Sydney adventure—in just a few hours, we managed to check off all of my non-racing-related to-dos for the trip! We (very briefly) walked through the 2000 Olympic Park, took a ferry through the Sydney Harbor and saw the Sydney Opera House, and stopped by a wild animal park on the way home and got to see some kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, and incredible birds, very up close!

The USA ladies visit the 2000 Sydney Olympic stadium!

After starting the day off with some solid racing pieces, we packed up into a small bus with some of our fellow racers from South Korea and Portugal and headed out to quickly see the sights! First stop was the 2000 Sydney Olympic Park and athlete village. Giant statues of the Olympic symbols--a runner and others--towered overhead, and we maneuvered around the dozens of columns in front of the athletic stadium, trying to find US teammate names!

Couldn't have picked a prettier day to cruise into Sydney!

Then it was back into the bus and off to a ferry that took us through the beautiful Sydney Harbor--lined with amazing houses, yacht and boat clubs, and natural and historical parks--right up to the Sydney Opera House and the Financial District/downtown! We got in a bit of sightseeing and souvenir-ing before it was time to take off again.

Baby wallaby!!!!!!!!

This time, we headed to a wild animal park, and we were SO EXCITED to get to see real Australian wildlife up close--REALLY close! As we got off the bus, a park guide handed me a swaddled up baby wallaby, which was about the cutest thing I'd ever seen. We also got to see kangaroos (with joeys!), kookaburras, echidnas, ghost bats, and everything Aussie in between.

Emus are startlingly large! But friendly, if slightly aggressive. I also saw the most brightly colored bird ever--wow! Thankfully, the animals were incredibly friendly. It was amazing to get to see so many awesome creatures up close!

Finally, it was time to head home--our friends from Portugal and South Korea had another training session, and we were all pretty wiped from the adventures! Many thanks to the Sydney International Rowing Regatta (SIRR) and World Rowing/Sydney Rowing World Cup organizing committees for planning this trip for us. What a great glimpse into Sydney and Australia, and an awesome chance to meet some of our fellow international racers, before we get into straight racing mode this week!

Power naps for everyone!

Thanks for following our journey, and Go USA!

Australia is AUS-some!

My view from the office...first row on the 2000 Olympic Course!

 We’ve now made it through our first couple of days here in Australia, and it’s AWESOME! (AUS-some?) It’s warm, people are friendly, the course is beautiful, and I've made friends with a tiny kangaroo!

Mike Gennaro, aka Tiny Kangaroo. Team USA in Sydney Airport!

Okay, maybe not that last bit, but we are really having a great trip, and I couldn’t be more excited to race. After a 35-hour-long trip to get here (DC -> Princeton -> Newark -> Los Angeles -> Sydney -> Penrith), I was pretty toasted. But after a bit of acclimation and a couple of great night’s sleeps, we’re more than recovered!

Warm-up jog with the crew!

Penrith, where we’re staying, is home to the 2000 Sydney Olympic rowing venue, as well as the Penrith Panthers rugby team. Hopefully we’ll get to see a proper rugby game the last day we’re here, since we’re literally across the street from the stadium!

Pretty average weather here.

When we went for our warm-up run the first day at the course, I had such a strange sense of déjà vu. I realized that three of the races I’ve watched hundreds of times—the men’s pair of Andrieux and Rolland (and Sebastian Bea and Ted Murphy!), the men’s and women's single sculls, and the men's eight—they were all raced on this course! It’s really brought a lot of enjoyment to the rows down the course to be thinking about this marker as being where one crew or another began their amazing sprint, and even just remembering all the history that’s happened on this racecourse.

The other notable thing so far about Australia has been the bird life. Our coach (and hero), Laurel, raced here in at the 2000 Games, and she told us as we were waiting at the airport that what she remembered most were the “startlingly loud” birds. She wasn’t kidding…they have the craziest calls and whether it’s a solo crow or the huge flock of parrots that sleep in the tree next to our hotel, the volume is unbelievable. Thankfully, though, they do occasionally sleep, so we can, too!

I’ll be posting more photos and videos soon! Thanks for supporting us and GO USA!

The Australia Adventure Begins!

Who's excited?!?  Photo: Grace Luczak.

Our trip to Australia is officially underway--writing from the LAX airport, where we have a four-hour layover (we headed out of Newark early this afternoon) before we take the real flight, a fourTEEN-hour whammy straight to Sydney!

Everyone's excited to see teammates who've been training around the country and who we haven't gotten a chance to see in several months. There are plenty of new faces, too, but everyone's really pumped to head over and race for the first time in awhile.

I'll be updating my blog here with our adventures, but you can also see inside photos and blogs from me and other athletes heading to/already in Australia on my SHIVSPIX.com page. Check it out!

Thanks as always for your support, and GO USA!

It's 2K time again!

This weekend, Henrik Stephansen officially kicked off the indoor rowing season by breaking his own world record for indoor lightweight rowing (video of beastmode in action courtesy row2k.) 

How do you PR? That’s always the question. Whether you’re an experienced rower, or this season will be your first rodeo, you’ll be doing at least one test that will give you a chance to see how your training and fitness have been progressing.

I started training at CrossFit Old Town in Alexandria, VA this fall, and my Foundations instructor, along with a few other athletes there, are participating in their first Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints. Brandon asked me for advice on boosting 2K performance. To help him and the other athletes at CFOT be better prepared on race day, I pulled together a little cheat-sheet tweaking race plan details.

First of all, there are three basic plans of attack for your 2K test: the even split, the fly and die, and the negative split. (Side note: one of the most important reasons to keep a training journal, at least of your erg tests, is so that you can see which one has given you your best performance. On test day, set your 2K splits for either 250m or 500m, and write down your data afterwards.) If you’re training as part of a team, your coach has probably developed a focus on one particular plan, but whether you’re training in a group or solo, it’s helpful to look at these plans and develop strategies and insights that can help you reach your peak performance.

Here are examples of each of the three plans. Click the image to view a larger version.

The even split plan means you choose your goal time for the test (say, 7:15 or 6:30), figure out the average split for that time (1:48.7 or 1:37.5), and then attempt to hold that split for the entire test. There are a few important things to remember if you decide to even split your test. First, be sure to choose a goal time that is reasonable for you, based on how you’ve done in your preparation workouts and compared to your previous best times. If your PR from last year is 6:50, you will likely not be successful trying to break 6:00. Also, the beginning of your test may feel tough, like you are working from the first stroke. The focus should be holding your goal split with minimal effort and maximal relaxation. As the test goes on, it will be increasingly difficult to hold that split, so relax, breathe, and stay consistent.

The fly and die plan utilizes your goal split as well, but in a very different way. Physiologically, rowers train to pick the boat up out of the water, accelerate it to faster-than-race-pace speed, and then hold onto that speed for as long as possible. Flying and dying is focused on doing the same thing on the erg: going harder than your target split for as long as possible until your body forces you to shift to a slower split. Many times, rowers get excited during erg tests and regardless of the plan they went into a test with, there is a fly-and-die element from race-day adrenaline. It’s important to realize that on-the-water races usually have a race profile like this, and if you find yourself struggling in the middle thousand meters of your test, dialing in to your race focuses—whether it’s a power 10 at the 1000m mark or a 15 to sit up at 500m to go—will help you pull out a good score no matter how much your legs and lungs are hurting.

The negative split plan, in my opinion, sets rowers up best for a good test. This is especially true if you suspect you’ll be faster on race day than your previous test, but you’re not sure by how much. To set up your plan, calculate the split of that previous test (e.g., 7:20 is a 1:50 split, 6:20 is a 1:35 split), or make your best guess at what you think you can do on this test. During your test, focus on holding a split close to that personal best for roughly the first 1000m, and then get progressively faster through the second 1000m. An important thing to remember is that the beginning of the test will probably feel very easy. If it feels good to go harder in the first 20 strokes than your goal split, that’s okay, but the most important focus is locking onto the “easy” split with a good rhythm, good breathing, and minimal effort. You will be able to find more speed later in the test by increasing the stroke rating, sitting up, and starting to push. I usually break the last 500m into 10-stroke increments, trying to increase my stroke rating and get faster with each one.

Whatever you decide is the most effective 2K plan for you on race day, remember that if you do it right, you’re going to leave absolutely everything out there. Something will probably go worse, and also something go better, than you’d envisioned—and it definitely helps to do a walk-through visualization on the erg in the day or two before. And as my high school coach told us, you can do anything for a minute, so when the final meters show up on your monitor, buckle your seatbelt and go for broke. Good luck and go fast!

First Marathon!

  This past Sunday, I took on my first marathon. This isn't a blog about how I've carefully followed a training plan to build up to it, or how I was perfectly prepared. There were plenty of things that didn't go off without a hitch. But I'm also really excited to have finally raced my first marathon!



  I ran the 9 1/2th Annual Potomac River Run Marathon, which is small (350 runners), flat, and a double loop--way more manageable than Boston or even Philadelphia! The marathon raises money for Buy a Brick Foundation, which builds and furnishes homes and schools near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. I also ran to raise awareness for the Virtual Race for Hurricane Sandy Recovery. If you are racing or have already raced in November, enter the virtual race to raise donations for the Red Cross recovery efforts. You can even win goodies donated by sponsors by entering!



  Sunday was a lot of fun. I did race pieces on the water Saturday (two practices of them!), so the first few miles didn't feel that hot. I found a pace buddy and we took turns leading for the first eleven miles or so. I decided to run faster than my goal pace for as long as it felt good--not crazy fast, but around 20 seconds per mile faster than my target.

  The only time I've done a long run (20 miles), I was super low on salt and bonked, so I carried a Gu and Margarita Clif Shot Blox (3x the sodium!) along with my handwarmers. It was in the low 40s, temperature-wise, hence the handwarmers. I was really satisfied with my clothing choice: I ended up running in our Olympic-issue Nike Pro spandex shorts, Lululemon Arise Bra, and Run:Swiftly Tech T short sleeve layered under the Run:Swiftly Tech T long sleeve. I also wore 2XU compression socks and a brand-new pair of Nike Air Pegasus. (More on that in a bit.) And a generous amount of BodyGlide!

THE GEAR:

2XU Compression Socks

Nike Pro Combat 5" Shorts

Lululemon Arise Sports Bra

Lululemon Run:Swiftly Tech LS

                           

Lululemon Run:Swiftly Tech SS

Nike Air Pegasus 29

 

  Around mile 9-10, I started feeling really good. Maybe it was the Carly Rae Jepsen blasting in my headphones, but I was totally stoked on the marathon. I had the thought, "Okay, first 10 miles were tough, now there will be 10 good ones, and then six tough ones." Since the marathon was a double loop, you turn around at the finish line of the half, and while I stopped at the aid station for a second to grab another Gu, I felt great. No regrets--next 13.1 miles, here I come!

Heading into the turnaround (13.1)...still smiling!
Photo credit: http://felipedlh.smugmug.com.

  Then mile 15 or 16 hit. Ouch. My lungs still felt fine, but I started feeling loopy, and my stomach started not cooperating. Every stop for water or Gatorade meant that about a minute later, I'd lean over the side of the trail and puke. I wished I'd brought some Tums! But it was almost the home stretch...almost...I did get a second second wind around mile 20, the last turnaround, but this one only lasted a few minutes. Everyone on the trail heading towards me looked miserable, and I passed a lot of people who were walking or stretching. I kept forgetting to look at my Garmin, and when I did, I could barely remember what my targets were--it felt like my brain had turned to Jell-O. After the race, I saw several of the finishers with targets Sharpie-d onto their arms...now I get it!

  The last couple of miles were pretty painful, but I was cruising. I was a little disappointed when my Garmin clicked to 26.20 miles and I couldn't see the finish line yet (it was around a bend in the trail), but I ended up at just over 26.40 miles, which is pretty darn close. Official time...3:33:42.

  Wow. I did it! I didn't know how I'd finished, time-wise--all I could think about was wanting to not be on my feet and needing some Tums. I peeled off my shoes and discovered this guy.

yum!

  Drank some Gatorade and wandered over to the finish line to meet the race director. He thought I was there to ask about my time and before I could say anything, he said, "Oh yes! You won your age category and qualified for Boston!" Which, in spite of my delirium, I COULD understand! That felt pretty good.

  I got to take a few photos with some of the kids there to cheer on their parents--running is a pretty great community, too!--and after a bagel with peanut butter and a lift home from the best support crew out there, my boyfriend Kyle, it was time for a hot bath/nap, ice bath, my first trip to Massage Envy here in DC, a big, yummy dinner, and BED. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty great first marathon!

FrankenStorm FrankenPlaylist

  The Frankenstorm is officially here! Thankfully, everyone in the DC area is currently safe and sound, and hopefully will continue to be for this entire weather event.

  Rowing-wise, like most rowers up and down the East Coast, we were stuck indoors this morning, and probably will be for the next several days. But just because there's no Metro or school, there's no reason to skip a workout! So to help keep that motivation going even when wading's required to get to the erg room, here's the FrankenStorm FrankenPlaylist. Enjoy!

  Links go to iTunes or Soundcloud preview. All songs available on iTunes, Soundcloud, or YouTube for download.

  As always, the first 25 to retweet or repost on Facebook win a copy!

FrankenStorm FrankenPlaylist

October 2012

1. Afterlife - Switchfoot
2. Survival - Muse
3. It's Time (Kat Krazy Remix) - Imagine Dragons
4. Crave You (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix) - Flight Facilities
5. Dirty Sexy Strobes - TeeTs
6. Everywhere (Aylen Remix) [feat. Genasis] - Aylen
7. Lunar - David Guetta & Afrojack
8. As Long As You Love Me (Ferry Corsten Radio) - Justin Bieber
9. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Taylor Swift
10. Babel - Mumford & Sons
11. Feel Again - OneRepublic
12. Closer - Tegan and Sara
13. Sail - Noosa
14. Tipsy/Free Falling - J Kwon vs. Tom Petty
15. We OK (feat. K'naan) - The Very Best
16. Get Away (feat. Sean Kingston) - lyaz
17. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
18. Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It - Stars
19. November Skies (feat. Nina Kinert) - Tomas Barfod
20. Letting You Let Go - Paper Route
21. Heat Lightening - Icky Blossoms
22. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
23. Madness - Muse
24. FineShrine (DJ SLink Remix) - Purity Ring

What Happens at the Olympics...

...doesn't stay at the Olympics, it's going up on this blog!

Just out of the P & G Salon for the Oakley party!

In all seriousness, everything post-Olympics over in London was pretty amazing. Not as debaucherous as everyone keeps wondering, but an incredible trip, with every single day jam-packed with awesome. The earliest I went to bed after moving into the Olympic Village was 5:15am--yes, the normal time I wake up for practice back in Princeton. But the Village wasn't a den of craziness. Everyone was incredibly respectful of the fact that most of the athletes there were still competing.

Found legend Drew Ginn at McDonalds after the Closing Ceremony!

Only the busy 24-hour McDonalds--the late-night/early-morning favorite of athletes from EVERY nation--gave away what we were up to!

Kyle, me, and our "British family"!

My first few days were spent with my family and boyfriend, who were able to stay for a bit after the racing. Kyle and I had a great time hanging out with the families who'd hosted him out by Eton and then in London. I've been exchanging letters with the little girls who came to dinner with us after my race...they've inspired me to take on some of the sports I've wanted to try and to reach out to more kids who are excited about rowing and the Olympics. I also got in some sight-seeing around London with my family.

Found some proper Bobbies to take a photo with!

Messing around up in the London Eye!

My bucket list for the Olympics (after winning, of course!) was: watch April Ross (my high school volleyball teammate and hero) in beach volleyball. Watch Usain Bolt run. Swap kit for Swedish Olympic gear. And fill every single minute with awesome! I was lucky enough to check everything off my list. I got to watch April not only in her semi but also in the USA-USA final, where she and partner Jen Kessy played to a hard-fought silver.

Beach volleyball gold medal match. Awesome!!!

Then, sitting a few seats away from the Olympic flame (MAN! that thing is hot!), I got to see Usain win the 200m. And on the very last afternoon, right before closing ceremonies, I tracked down the Swedish team's dorm and made a javelin thrower swap shirts.

Met Evander Holyfield, fellow Nutri-Grain bar enthusiast, at the USA House!

And David Beckham at beach volleyball!

Of course, there were tons of other awesome moments, too. We met too many celebrities to list. There were the constant awesome moments of grabbing a tray at the dining hall or signing up for something in the Team USA office, right next to athletes who are your heroes. "Okay, be cool, be cool...holy crap, it's Abby Wambach!"

With Abby and the women's soccer team at an NBC event.

And then just getting to spend time with my teammates, some of my best friends, without the pressure of practice or competition or another team we needed to make just around the corner. For once, we were free just to spend time with each other and celebrate what we'd accomplished.

Just after ringing the bell at the NYSE!

We did several interviews and shows, both in London and when we got back to the US. The highlights were getting to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange--SO COOL!!!--and then doing the Today Show in New York.

With Mary and Moose in NYC!

After our interview, we got to stick around and cook with Curtis Stone--the dreamy "Take Home Chef" who can make a mean pork belly stir fry. And then, just as we were leaving, one of our media managers came around the corner in a huff--"I just got kicked out of the green room by Lionel Ritchie's entourage!" I put my heels and medal back on, walked back to the green room, and peeked around the corner. Sitting there on the giant sofa, all by himself, was Lionel, who looked up at me, spread his arms and said, beaming, "It's YOU!" Me: "...Yes, it IS me!" (What?!?) The man is amazing, and he told his trainer he wanted to come row with us in San Diego. I can't wait!

Dancing on the ceiling...eeps!

Besides the media, we've all been criss-crossing the country to see friends and family that we've been away from for months and years. The local pizza place, Massimos--the one you'd always go to after AYSO soccer games--had a welcome home dinner for me, and I got to see so many family friends and friends from high school. It was a really special night.

Thanks for an awesome event, Massimos!!!

I also got to go speak at my high school rowing program, where there are lots of great kids who are really excited about the Olympics!

With the Junior Women at NAC!

It's been so wonderful to be able to share this medal with all of the people who helped me be there to win it, and who've backed me up through this whole journey. From my first host family in Princeton, to my high school friend's family who've cheered me on since I started rowing. There are hundreds of emails from friends I'm still trying to get caught up on, and my mom handed me fistfuls of cards when I got home.

Our medal.

The support this whole journey has been incredible, and I don't feel like this will wind down until I can share this with and thank everyone who's helped me along the way. Thank you for your support and for supporting the dreams of everyone on our team, for believing in all of us long shots. This is our medal.